Etymograph

English

privatization

Privatization comes from Latin prīvātus ‘apart from the state’, from prīvō ‘to bereave, deprive’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-1reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*prei1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*preiwos1‘separate’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprīvus1‘single’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprīvō2‘to bereave, deprive’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprīvātus3‘apart from the state’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1943privatization3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin privo
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin privatus
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English privatization
  4. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1943, Sidney Merlin, Trends in German Economic Control Since 1933: “The party, moreover, facilitates the accumulation of private fortunes…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-Wiktionary, Latin privoreconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*preiWiktionary, Latin privoreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*preiwosWiktionary, Latin privo‘separate’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprīvusWiktionary, Latin privo‘single’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprīvōWiktionary, Latin privatus‘to bereave, deprive’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEprīvātusWiktionary, English privatization‘apart from the state’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1943privatizationWiktionary, English privatization. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1943, Sidney Merlin, Trends in German Economic Control Since 1933: “The party, moreover, facilitates the accumulation of private fortunes…”

Formed from -ation

The story

Calque of German Privatisierung (with English -ation), derived from Latin prīvātus (‘apart from the state; private’), with reference to post-First World War German economic principles. Popularized by Sidney Merlin in 1943, who was aware of the term reprivatization (used in similar contexts), already attested at the time.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *per-

first, before, support, far, per, report, further, press, fear, opportunity, price, practice, pre, port, primary, afford, ford, appreciate, prime, pregnant, forth, prior, practical, parade, par, praise, prize, precious, ferry, fare, porch, pirate, interpretation, pardon, interpreter, prix, afar, pore, petra, primitive, 154 more

through Latin prīvus ‘single’

privilege, 3 more

through Latin prīvātus ‘apart from the state’

privy, 3 more

Today it means

noun The transfer of a company or organization from government to private ownership and control.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “privatization”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin privo, Latin privatus. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *per- / privatization

Shirt and support for this word